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New Ghost Rider = Tron + Dukes of Hazzard?


MisterPL

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This screams Disney legal stepping in to get rid of a superhero with a flaming skull that kids could potentially emulate, even though they haven't tried in the last 40 years.

That sounds like Disney legal alright... they know the minute a kid sees a head set on fire they’re going to want to copy it, it’s why Disney has been VERY careful to never include flaming headed characters in any of their movies

Hercules-disneyscreencaps_com-451.jpg

Lumiere-1900x1200.jpg

Warren_Fire.jpg (not his head... but still, he’s live action)

Oh come on, none of those animated features are targeting a young adult male demographic, and I'm sure none of the 5 people that saw Sky High (thanks Google Image Search!) were impressed with it enough to emulate what they saw on-screen. biggrin.png

Modern Disney has been all about sanitizing it's IP to make it as inoffensive and sterile as possible, probably because "Classic" Disney was notorious for using any stereotype under the sun to portray characters, so it is a logical conclusion that they would start extending the same practices to IP they have acquired (looking at your Trevor Slattery) that could be viewed as a possible problem down the road. Look for Punisher to undergo another similar transformation (oh wait, he joined a superteam) or just outright disappear from the radar completely, ala Uncle Remus and Brer Rabbit. If Disney has an IP they are embarrased about or don't want to deal with, they like to sweep them under the rug in hopes they will be forgotten.

Ghost Rider is obviously an IP they think they can market, as long as the appropriate changes are made to the character to make it more appealing to a mass audience.

Edited by youbastards
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I wonder if maybe we're being too cynical about this whole thing. Could be Marvel's creative team simply thought this was a cool new look for the character, and concerns about no wearing a helmet while driving a motorcycle had nothing to do with it.

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This just screams of meh, like that new nasty Ms. Marvel

nasty Ms Marvel? I know they are planning a teenage Ms Marvel but it says nothing about nasty. Sure you dont mean Carol Denvers who is now Captain Marvel?

No, I like Carol.

And I wouldn't care about this new girl, but don't just shove her off into someone else's name for the sake of being PC.

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Disney only cares about that stuff when it's Disney-branded, they own plenty of other companies that wouldn't have to meet those standards. And they only bought Marvel as a source of IP, it's been years and we haven't seen editorial interference or imposed Mouse executives yet.

As for the helmet, going by the rest of his outfit it could just suggest that the character races cars?

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If you look at the art, his head is still a skull underneath the helmet, although it might still have some meat on it. It's not like they threw away the character's key element.

And while I understand the resistance to kiddifying edgy characters, after watching a motorcyclist die on the highway in front of me a couple of months ago, I'm fine with Marvel not glorifying motorcycles and encouraging helmet use. Maybe his seatbelt is a chain.

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I just think you guys are confusing "being overly PC" with having ideas. Maybe a writer just stood up and said "I WANT TO DO A MUSLIM MS MARVEL" and since no one is currently using the title, they all said "SURE WHY NOT"

I feel Disney has very little input in what goes on in the Marvel Comics (other than the kids publications) im sure there is influence from editors that involves the CMU but I dont feel any character is being made "safe" its just a new design for a new era....I mean...do you guys really think characters needed all that padding in the 90s? no but that wasnt them trying to protect them from injury, that was just the design motiff of the time

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You have a point, and I encourage them to have ideas. My issue is when they take that idea and force it upon the world by taking an established character and pushing the new version which is built around the idea. For example:

Writer: "I have an idea for a female Muslim hero."

Editor: "Great, write up the pitch."

This is fine.

Writer: "I have an idea for a female Muslim hero."

Editor: "Great!! We'll make her the new Ms. Marvel so she's immediately a big deal and we don't have to wait a few years for her character to catch on."

This is what irritates the hell out of me. I'm fine with new concepts, I don't appreciate them thinking they can leapfrog things like character development.

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Disney bought Marvel in what, 2010,2011? Marvel has until recently been publishing the MAX imprint. Also, Avengers Arena featured a bunch of teenagers killing each other in an island full of death traps. It's just an idea somebody have and it's a nice redesign. I much prefer something new rather than another leather clad biker.

The thing I don't like though is being diverse just for the heck of it. The new Rider lives in a ghetto style neighborhood so the change in his age, ethnicity, etc fits. Kinda like Franklin in gta v.

Simon Baz made sense. Being a minority and facing difficulties made him a person that is capable of overcoming great fear and I'm quite sad that he is off the main gl book nowadays.

The new ms. Marvel is different just to be different. The title doesn't have a certain element that the new girl fills. You could say that she is a string female icon but by that logic making a new gal don the catwoman cowl makes sense as well. I prefer creating new and interesting characters rather than giving a person a title that doesn't fit them.

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My biggest problem is with the helmet.

This is a character who's been riding motorcycles for decades without a helmet. Now they're putting him in a car and he's got a helmet? Doesn't that strike anyone else as backwards?

I'm fine with Robbie Reyes wearing a helmet while racing his muscle car in his civilian identity. Hell, paint the helmet like a sugar skull. But as soon as he becomes Ghost Rider, the helmet seems pretty dumb given the character's history. It's almost like they're masking that I.D. "Um, dude! Your helmet's totally on fire!" The whole flaming skull loses its affect. It's like taking the ears off of Batman or the horns off Daredevil. The suit might change but Ghost Rider's flaming skull is the gimmick, not fiery headgear.

As for Disney's involvement, I know some Marvel folks actually replaced Disney staffers during the acquisition so it's obvious that Disney values Marvel's expertise. That said, this is also the same corporation that caved in to the "You're ruining Merida!" crybabies over a change in art style. They've also notoriously dumbed down Marvel's animated TV offerings so we don't really know what Disney's editorial mandate might be on this.

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well I like the design and im looking forward to the book

also im not sure how hes tron-like in any way shape or form...hes just wearing Johnnys old costume but in black

Maybe because he's an electronic music fan and since the representers of this genre are Daft Punk, who scored Tron: Legacy, that's why they classify him as Tron inspired. Or maybe because in the first pic from nycc he had blue neon flames and his skull was much more stylized.

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I think this is the coolest thing ever.

So does that mean he's got a chance of being made as a Minimate in the near future? I mean, if Sam Laxander can make the cut then this guy sure can.

Also, I've got to finally finish those daft punk customs that I've got sitting on my workbench.

Edited by Kostisfire
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You have a point, and I encourage them to have ideas. My issue is when they take that idea and force it upon the world by taking an established character and pushing the new version which is built around the idea. For example:

Writer: "I have an idea for a female Muslim hero."

Editor: "Great, write up the pitch."

This is fine.

Writer: "I have an idea for a female Muslim hero."

Editor: "Great!! We'll make her the new Ms. Marvel so she's immediately a big deal and we don't have to wait a few years for her character to catch on."

This is what irritates the hell out of me. I'm fine with new concepts, I don't appreciate them thinking they can leapfrog things like character development.

There's a perfectly good reason for that.

What you need to look at is creative control over new creations. Look how popular comic books are in cinema, and how much money they make. If you're a creator who has a genuinely new idea, wouldn't you try to shop it around to smaller publishers so you can get a big cut financially if your creation takes off? Kind of like Kirkman and Walking Dead. Why give Marvel or DC your creation if they will get ownership of it? It's easier than ever now to get your ideas off the ground, creators no longer need to rely on the big two. I think the last genuinely new creation at Marvel was Runaways. Fans might not like it, but you need to look from a creators point of view. So unless ownership rights change, you're going to see a lot of legacy characters and variations of existing concepts.

Edited by bigvis497
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This is also an opportunity to broaden the market. When a legacy character like Robin is killed or promoted, it makes sense to not only fill the role (if only to keep the intellectual property protected) but fill it with a character that will have a wider appeal. Likewise if Ms. Marvel is the new Captain Marvel, it makes sense to replace her and to do so in a way that will attract attention.

That said, this does seem a little forced or convenient. I'm not sure why Marvel isn't using a pre-existing incarnation of Ghost Rider unless they feel strongly that those characters are played out and want a clean slate that promotes freer creativity.

I really don't have a problem with the re-casting or the car. At the end of the day I just want a good story. And explain that damned helmet.

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i think you need to read Hickmans Avengers then :D he's being a modern day Kirby with his new characters/concepts

yes he is integrating them, but they are definitely new characters

You can create a new character but that's not the same as a new concept.

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I think nobody likes the helmet...I don´t

It´s too metally when he transforms into the ghost rider, his whole head seems...weird

I liked it on the GR 2099, but on this one, i dont know

As for the character...It seems cool, but we all know how the last one ended.

They rebooted the series with a new female character, who they kinda ditched when the series ended(within 13 issues, i believe). She lost most of her power and Blaze took it all back. So now the new character comes and takes the Ghost Rider, it makes the ending of the last issue kinda...useless

I hope this will be a really cool new GR series!

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